February 2012 Wandering Members

(Small) Chance for Florida Scrub Jay

One of my field trips, during the Space Coast Birding Festival, was
to Seminole Ranch Conservation Area just east of I-95 and between SR-46
and SR-50. The property comprises over 29,000 acres and includes
pine woods, South Lake, scrub land and lightly treed areas with
palmetto ground cover. The area is well managed and habitat is
mostly maintained by controlled burning with some mechanical cutting.

Weather was less than ideal so birding was poor but the experience was
still positive for a number of reasons; the main one being positive
news about their Florida Scrub Jay population. There are four
distinct populations or family groups on the property, ranging in size
from two to five birds each. They are found at two separate
locations, some distance apart. The birds are banded, usually
every year, with four bands per bird, one of which indicates family,
another birth year, etc.

We saw four birds at the location we passed. They were not
particularly skittish but they sure didn’t come down and sit on
anybody’s hat either. In fact, none came within fifty feet of our
group. One of the rangers brought out a can with corn in it,
shook it and finally dumped some on the ground. No
reaction! The birds all stayed in trees a short distance
away. The ranger thought that if he had been there himself they
might have come to the corn but they weren’t about to come into a mob
of people. In actual fact, the only time they feed the birds are
the few days leading up to banding day. They get suckered in to
coming to the corn then follow the trail into the trap cages.
Scrub Jays have long memories!

Another item of interest is that as well as using fire to control the
scrub, the staff cut down many of the nearby pine and oak trees.
The concern is these taller trees may provide cover for raptors who
could prey on the jays.
The best news of the day was that this property is so successful that
it is now exporting Florida Scrub Jays. One of their young males
moved to a site in an adjoining county-managed property to the north,
attracted a mate from another property several miles away and has now
established a new family group.